So you're getting married! Congratulations! As you have no doubt already discovered,
deciding to get married is just the first of many decisions you'll need to make on the way to the big day.
This column is intended to help you navigate through some of the finer points
surrounding wedding stationery. We'll also look at a few "modern issues," areas where contemporary
tastes run counter to tradition.

Invitations set the tone:Your wedding invitation will set the tone for your event. Whatever you decide to do for
your celebration, your invitation should reflect both the event and your personality!

While the traditional ecru or white paper stock engraved with black ink is still the most
popular choice for a formal invitation, more liberal approaches are "pushing the envelope," like
invitations on textured papers, in multiple colors, and with custom wedding designs. Whether
you plan to exchange vows in a hotel, a place of worship, or on a secluded island beach, show
your personal style and create a wedding invitation that truly expresses who you are, your values,
and your individuality.

With that said, it is still important to follow a few basic guidelines when planning your
wedding stationery. Below is an overview that will acquaint you with the basics of wedding stationery.
Please call or come see us when you're ready to put your stationery plans "on paper."

Order all of your invitations at the same time, leaving ample time to have them printed
and addressed. Gather and bring all the information you will need to create your wedding invitation:

Date

Time

Place

Parents' names

Groom's middle name

Number of people attending reception vs. wedding

Getting FormalThe most formal invitation is on ecru (cream) or white stock engraved with black or dark-gray ink. It is folded in half,
with the text of the invitation on the front outside panel. A less formal invitation is on an unfolded ecru or white card. Either of these
papers may be plain or paneled.

Lettering StyleThere are dozens and dozens of typefaces to choose from, from
frilly scripts to austere all-caps. Choose one that expresses the
spirit of your occasion and matches the tone of the stationery you
decide upon.

All pieces in your wedding ensemble should use the same paper and ink color.

The content of a formal wedding invitation is fairly straightforward, albeit slightly more
complicated these days due to changes in social attitudes and family structures. Regardless of
your particular situation, the lines of your invitation should be in the following order:

1. The hosts' namesFormal invitations begin with the person or people involved with the hosting, using
formal names and titles. For example:

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter

If the bride and groom are hosting their own wedding the first lines would read:

Isabelle Marie Johnson
and
Jack Hamden Robert
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage

2. Invite your guests

"requests the honour of your presence"
(use honour when the wedding is taking place in a house of worship; honor when the location is a hotel, club, etc.)

Casual:
"requests the pleasure of your company"

3. State the affair and relationship to the bride

"at the wedding of their daughter"

4. The bride's first and second name

"Isabelle Marie"

If the bride's last name is different from the host's, it should also be included on this line, e.g.:

"Isabelle Marie Johnson"

5. The connecting, "to"
This always goes on its own line in a formal invitation.

"to"

6. The groom's full name
If the bride is using a professional title, such as

"Doctor Marie Ann Consalves,"

you should then also include the groom's personal title,

"Mr.," "Dr.,"

or whatever the case may be.

7. The day and month In a formal invitation, spell out completely the date, time, and location of your wedding. Thus, the date
would be:

"Saturday, the twentieth of June"

8. The year

"Nineteen hundred and ninety-eight"

9. The time

"at two o'clock in the afternoon"

10. The location

"The Waybridge Country Club"

11. City and state

"Waybridge, New Hampshire"

12. Reception lineIf you are planning to have your reception at the same location as the wedding, the line

If you are holding your reception at a different location than that of your wedding, you
will probably want to include a reception card with your invitation. This is helpful in a couple
of ways: First, it will not crowd the text on your invitation. Secondly, if you are inviting only
some guests to the reception, it is convenient to simply add a reception card to the wedding
invitations of those guests.

The card should include the name and address of the establishment with

The double envelope, that courtly feature of the formal wedding invitation, has its origins in
the days when footmen delivered invitations to the landed class. At delivery, the footman
would remove the clean invitation from its well-traveled outer envelope. The custom has
survived, although with modern postal service the outer envelope is now sealed, with the inner
unsealed and placed with the guest's name face up so that it can be read immediately upon extracting
it from the outer.

Tissues were originally conceived in the days when inks took a bit longer to dry. Printers
placed a tissue over the ink so that it would not smear. Today ink is quick-drying so tissues are
not imperative, but used out of tradition. If you choose to use a tissue, it is the first sheet of
paper that covers the printed text of your invitation. The large sheet of tissue is for your invitation,
the small for your reply card and other small enclosures.

Place items in inner envelope in relation to importance and size:

Invitation

Reply card tucked under flap of reply envelope

Reception card

Other items, such as direction cards and accommodation cards, can be placed in order of size. If there are 2 cards that are of the same size, place them in order of importance.

Before sending your invitations, take a sample to the post office with all pieces to confirm
that you're applying the proper postage before mailing! If you have international addresses, it
is important to ask for postage for each individual country to which an invitation is being sent.
These measures will ensure prompt delivery of your invitations.

Once everything is properly stamped, you will want to adhere to the following timelines
for mailing your invitations:

Four to six weeks before the event is the general rule for mailing your invitations to ensure
your guests receive their invitations and are able to respond in sufficient time. If you have
guests traveling from outside the regional area, it is courteous to mail their invitations 6-8 weeks
ahead of your wedding date so that they can make travel arrangements. As well, if you are planning
your wedding around a holiday weekend, it is a good idea to get your invitations out 6-8 weeks
prior so that your guests are sure to make your wedding the focus of the holiday.

Regardless of when the invitations are sent, they should all be mailed at the same time.

Now, sit back and relax - and start thinking about other paper planning! Your wedding
reception will allow you to further personalize your affair and carry the theme of your invitations
right through the day of your wedding. These stationery pieces can include invitations to the
rehearsal dinner, the wedding program, placecards or escort cards, menus, and table numbers. We can
help you put together a comprehensive plan of coordinating papers that will help create a
lasting impression.

We also carry papers for wedding-related occasions such as bridal showers, teas, and
engagement parties.

Other printed stationery that is both useful and appropriate:The Ceremony Card: If you are planning an intimate wedding with a small group of family and friends, but are
then going to have a bash to celebrate, enclose a ceremony card along with the reception card.

Wedding Announcements Send these out the day of your wedding to friends who you did not invite to your wedding, but
to whom you would like to announce your marriage! The traditional announcement would look like
your invitation, in ecru or white paper with black ink - engraved or thermographed in the style
of your wedding invitations. Mail in double envelopes.

Gift Received Cards A gift received card is a helpful and tactful way of acknowledging the gift of your guest
without delay, especially if you are having a large wedding or an extended honeymoon. The card
acknowledges a gift and notes that a personal thank-you will soon follow.

Personalized Stationery Traditionally, the bride took on the role of thanking the couple's guests for wedding gifts.
Nowadays, however, the groom is more likely to lend a hand or shoulder the burden. When he
does, his monogram should be on cards he is writing, hers on the notes she will write.

Notecards with the married couple's name, e.g.,

"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,"

are used by husband and wife for replying to formal invitations, sending thank-you's, personal notes, or an invitation.